Abstract: Muhsin Ertuğrul (1892-1979) shaped the genetic codes of Turkish cinema with his films he shot in the early decades of the Rebuplic. The literature about Ertuğrul is dominated by Nijat Özön’s critics. Critics that are influenced by Özön’s arguments, held Ertuğrul responsible for the negativities of Turkish cinema. Alim Şerif Onaran’s studies reduced the effect of biased critics about Ertuğrul to some extent. However, the difficulties of struggling in a severe poverty and being a precursor did not prevent Ertuğrul from being considered as a scapegoat. Muhsin Ertuğrul’s theatrical identity supersedes his filmmaker identity as many historians of cinema stated before. Ertuğrul managed to go beyond average only in a few of his films. Even if his cinema heritage can be criticised in many ways, his effort for founding of Turkish cinema cannot be underestimated. Muhsin Ertuğrul has an exceptional place in the history of Turkish cinema because in severe poverty he managed to establish the cinema, which is the most technological branch of arts. Muhsin Ertuğrul’s films can be watched as a reflection of the Kemalist modernisation project. Ertuğrul was a man of culture who struggled to realize the revolutions of the Republic with self-devotion. He was not only the man who made the Turkish women appear in the silver screen but also he became a representative of the ideals of the Rebuplic in field of art during all his life. For this purpose, he was obliged to undertake many missions such as teaching, directing, criticising, acting and translating at the same time. He laid the foundations of theatre and cinema in a country where fighting against epidemic diseases and educating its population at least in a level of primary school were only priorities. Thus, the aim of this study is to put forward the founder role of Muhsin Ertuğrul in Turkish cinema.

Keywords: Turkish cinema, Muhsin Ertuğrul, The Republic, The role of founder.